{lisa}
"What?"
Isabella stood before lisa, and a Raven who had just co back from her usual morning jog. lisa hadn't even finished putting on her school uniform, standing there in just a bra, her thighhighs, and her skirt. She was gaping back at Isabella, her jaw firmly planted on the floor.
Oh, but it wasn't just Isabella.
Margaret and listair were standing there too. In front of lisa's dorm room.
Because...
"Javir's house burnt down!?!?"
"Not entirely," Margaret quickly corrected. "But, uhm... Can you get dressed? We can talk about it after."
---
The morning air bit at lisa's skin as they made their way through the streets.
Isabella and Raven walked beside her while her parents led the way to Kimiko's house. They would have gotten Armia to co too, but she hadn't arrived at the academy by the ti Isabella showed up with Margaret and listair.
The streets were oddly empty, even for this early. Usually there'd be rchants setting up their stalls, servants running errands, maybe even a few early-morning drunks stumbling ho. But today, the silence felt heavy.
"Everyone's scared," lisa said quietly. "All the recent attacks... No one wants to get caught up in anything."
"Speaking optimistically, people are finally realizing that maybe treating nim like shit wasn't such a bright idea after all," Isabella said. "Speaking... not so optimistically..."
"This is just festering paranoia," lisa finished for her.
They rounded the corner to Kimiko's street.
Isabella opened the door for them and, inside, they found Javir and Kimiko in what looked like the tail end of a conversation. lisa was surprised. Javir was still in the sa clothes she'd worn to the academy the day prior, with dark circles under her eyes.
[Rough night, I guess.]
"Thank you again for-" Javir stopped when she saw them enter. "Ah. Good morning."
Hazel was in the background, staring up at so painting.
"Whoa," the girl said as she gazed upon the portrait of a particularly busty kitsune dancing in what looked like very expensive silk.
"Welco," Kimiko said, gesturing at the seats around her. "Nothing exciting happened on your way here, I take it?"
"No, nothing," Margaret answered for everyone. "Not that I wanted more excitent after last night, anyway."
lisa just huffed and went to sit down.
"So," lisa started, settling onto one of Kimiko's ludicrously comfortable couches. Raven sat beside her, while Isabella perched on the armrest, her tail now actively wrapping around lisa's wrist. "Did I hear Isabella right? They tried to burn down the manor!?"
Margaret sighed, running a hand through her disheveled hair.
"Yes, they attacked the manor last night. And these weren't just regular flas. They used magic."
"If Jaylin hadn't been there..." listair's fists clenched. "We probably wouldn't have been able to save the house. Maybe not get out at all."
[Well... shit.] lisa narrowed her eyes, looking at nothing in particular. [I should have seen sothing like this coming.]
Getting attacked in a random alley was one thing. Having her speech interrupted too. But, having her ho attacked? Her family?
This was sothing else entirely.
"Did you see who did it?" lisa leaned forward. "Any details at all?"
Margaret shook her head.
"Just glimpses. Purple skin disappearing into the night. They were quick about it too, so they probably had an escape route planned out in advance."
"How many?" Isabella asked.
"Four, maybe five," listair answered. "It was hard to tell in the dark. Plus, you know, we were panicking on account of the fire and all."
"And the magic they used..." Margaret's jaw clenched. "Jaylin said it wasn't amateur work. These weren't just angry kids throwing fireballs."
[Great. So they're organized.]
"The flas resisted basic water spells," Javir added, rubbing her eyes. "If Jaylin hadn't been there with her advanced magic..." She paused. "Speaking of which, where is she?"
"She said she wanted to head to the academy. After she dropped us off here, I an."
"I'm glad to hear she helped out," Javir said. "If she hadn't been able to..."
lisa's mind was treading the sa territory, of course.
[This could have been so much worse.]
Kimiko clapped her hands together, bringing everyone's attention to her and, thankfully, plucking lisa out of her thoughts.
"Well! No point dwelling on what-ifs. You're all free to stay here while the manor gets fixed up. What do you think?"
"That's very kind of you, sis, but," Margaret started.
"But nothing." Kimiko's smile was warm but her tone left no room for argunt. "I have plenty of space. And my security is... quite thorough."
[Yeah, and probably plenty of other reasons for wanting Mom to stay here,] lisa thought, catching the way Kimiko's eyes lingered on Margaret. [And Dad, for that matter.]
"Javir?" Kimiko asked. "What about you?"
"Actually," Javir straightened up, "Jaylin and I should stay at the manor."
They were all pretty surprised to hear that.
"What?" Margaret's eyes widened. "But they could co back!"
A little smile tugged at Jaylin's lips. Small and dangerous.
"That's what I'm counting on. But I don't want you and Hazel and l and... well, l getting caught in the crossfire."
"And what exactly are you planning?" Raven spoke up for the first ti, her eyes narrowed at Javir.
"Let's just say I have so questions for our fire-happy friends." Javir's smile grew sharper.
[Sotis I forget she used to be the court sorceress. Then she says stuff like that.]
"Not a bad idea," listair said quietly. "As for us three, though..." He looked at his wife and Hazel. "We should take Kimiko's offer."
Kimiko bead.
"Perfect! Though I should warn you, I don't have many rooms available. You might have to double up."
[Of course you don't,] lisa thought. [Half your rooms are probably sex dungeons.]
"I'm sure we'll manage," Margaret said, shooting Kimiko a look that made lisa roll her eyes with a smirk.
But, as Kimiko led her parents and Hazel upstairs to get settled, lisa's hands clenched in her lap. These nim had crossed a line. Attacking random nobles was one thing. Not a good thing, but still.
Going after her family?
Murderous intent bubbled up within lisa's heart.
[I won't stand for it,] she breathed in deep. [Sothing needs to be done about this. And soon.]
She looked at Raven and Isabella, seeing the sa determination in their eyes. Whatever ca next, they'd face it together.
[Very soon.]
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